7 Classic Ways to Store Clamps Fort Payne AL

Oddball clamps won't become lost if you keep them together in a utility tub, which costs about $3 at a discount store. Tubs are a great way to store and transport spring clamps, C-clamps and small hand screws. Lidded tubs can even be stacked.

7 Classic Ways to Store Clamps

7 Classic Ways to Store Clamps

Conquer Your Clamp Conundrums with These Simple Solutions

by Tim Johnson

“You can’t have too many clamps,” a wise cabinetmaker once told me. That’s certainly true, but in a small shop, you can easily run out of room to store them. One clamp is so different from another that no single rack can accommodate them all in a compact space. Most woodworkers benefit from a variety of storage solutions.

Here are seven broad concepts to stimulate your creative thinking. Each design contains one big idea tailored for a specific type of clamp. Mix and match to fit your assortment and your space. Just be sure to leave room for more!

Conduit Fits All the Shorties

If you have room for only one rack for your short clamps, build this one. It accommodates a wide variety of shapes—almost anything that has jaws. The rack even holds C-clamps and quick-release clamps, which usually have to be tightened to stay on a board for storage. Simply hook them over the metal conduit. Conduit is superior to using a wooden dowel rod because it is stiffer and more durable.For most clamps, position the conduit 2 in. from the wall. Strategically locate a second length of conduit to support the bars of long clamps.

Make Big Brackets

These sturdy 12-in. x 16-in. brackets are great for storing lots of long, heavy clamps in a narrow space. The 2x4 brackets are wide enough for pipe and bar clamps. Use 2x6s to store K-body-style and deep-throated adjustable clamps.

Dado a 45-degree support board into each bracket. Screw the brackets to the cleats from the back, leaving 2-in. spaces between for the clamps’ bars. Then fasten the brackets to the wall.

Throw ’Em in a Tub

Oddball clamps won’t become lost if you keep them together in a utility tub, which costs about $3 at a discount store. Tubs are a great way to store and transport spring clamps, C-clamps and small hand screws. Lidded tubs can even be stacked.

Stack ’Em Up

Hands down, this is my favorite way to store hand screws. Simply saw angled dadoes in one edge of a 2x4. Size the dadoes so the sticks for hanging the clamps fit tightly. Glue and screw the sticks to the 2x4 and fasten the 2x4 to the wall. This rack also works great for hanging loads of spring clamps.

Cut Notches

Without notches on a mobile cart, one bump can send your clamps flying. The boards that you notch should be wide enough to fully support the clamps’ heads. The trick is to make the notches deep enough for a clamp’s head and wide enough so the clamp’s bar is easy to insert and remove.

To make half-round notches for pipe clamps, drill holes down the middle of a wide board. Rip through the center of the holes to make two support boards, each with half-round holes.

Metal Brackets Serve Double Duty

Got long clamps you want to keep handy? Use heavy-duty 12-in. shelf brackets.